Hypothyroidism – The Overlooked and Unsuspected Illness

Have you been in touch with anyone who is chronically fatigued even after being rested? Anyone who has a continual loss of energy? Anyone always coming down with a cold or flu? Anyone who always has cold hands and feet or who are very sensitive to the cold? Anyone who has UMS (ugly mood swings)? Anyone who is depressed and no amount of psychotherapy or anti-depressants seems to help? Anyone who has excessive menstrual flow, cramps or irregular periods? Anyone who has severe headaches? Anyone who seems to have lost their sexual appetite? Anyone who swings from being a perfectionist to not caring about anything? Anyone who has rapid weight gain or cannot lose weight? Anyone who has excessively dry skin, broken nails because they are too brittle or nails that are too soft, brittle hair or loss of hair, cracked or constantly bleeding heels? Anyone who has poor memory? And all of these complaints are met with the diagnosis that “nothing is organically wrong” and thus a person is seen as a hypochondriac or someone that “doctor shops”? These people may have hypothyroidism. If you see anyone with these complaints, it is essential that hypothyroidism be one of your considerations.Hypothyroidism is simply that the thyroid is subnormal. Broda Barnes, M.D. (ref. 1) emphasizes that a thyroid may be under functioning and not be detected on a thyroid blood panel. David Williams, D.C. discusses the thyroid on an excellent tape (available at Mountain Publishing P.O. Box 829, Ingram, Texas 78025): The thyroid is the body’s thermostat. It regulates the metabolism, how you burn energy. If the body is not burning enough energy, everything slows down resulting in a number of conditions, including fatigue and inability to lose weight. Depressed and suicidal people can also have serious hypothyroidism.